(Book Cover Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/37588395&referer=brief_results, accessed November 15, 2008)BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 1998. Among the hidden. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 0689817002
2. PLOT SUMMARY:
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Among The Hidden is the first of seven novels in Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children series. A futuristic fantasy, it is the story of Luke Garner, a 12-year-old boy born in a time when overpopulation and a famine have led to a totalitarian state, which includes the Population Police. Their job is to enforce the strict policy of two children per family. Luke is an illegal "third" child, hidden away on his family's farm, never having met anyone besides his parents and two older brothers. This changes when the woods surrounding the farm are replaced by homes for the privileged "Baron" families, and Luke must remain totally hidden in the attic of his home. Luke's only view of the outside world is through the slats of a vent in the attic. Desperate for diversion, he spends hours watching the comings and goings of the neighboring families.
Then, one day, Luke sees another child's face in the window of the home next door. He realizes it must be another third child. Eventually, he works up the courage to sneak over and break in through their screen door. He meets Jen, a spirited girl who exposes Luke to a wide range of things - from forbidden junk food, to the Internet, to government and counter-
government propaganda, to her rebellious plan to stage a rally in front of the President's house, demanding rights for third children, or "shadow children" as she calls them. In learning that there are thousands of shadow children, Luke is intrigued, but terrified of Jen's plan and ultimately tells her he cannot go with her. This creates a breach in their friendship, which is healed by Jen in a brief visit before she departs for the rally.
The next day, Luke tries in vein to learn the outcome of the rally, but fails. As days go by, and he sees no sign of Jen, he decides to break into her house. Discovered by Jen's stepfather, Luke learns that Jen and the 39 other shadow children who staged the rally were shot down and killed. He also learns that Jen's stepfather is a mole, working for the Population Police. He hides Luke when they come to investigate, and ultimately offers him a fake identity, so he can escape detection. The story concludes with Luke (now called Lee Grant), being driven by Jen's stepfather to his new life at a boarding school. He has vowed, "I want to do something with my life. Figure out ways to help other third kids . . . Make a difference in the world."
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
From the opening scene in which Haddix deftly introduces Luke's conflicting feelings of fear of discovery and longing for freedom, to the closing scene which embodies the same feelings, now joined by a need to "Make a difference in the world," Among the Hidden grips the reader and doesn't let go. The premise itself is fascinating (and not all that outlandish given China's current policies) and Haddix uses plot devices to move the story along. For example, she often ends chapters with a cliffhanger. Examples include, "Turn around slowly. I have a gun. Who are you and why are you here?" and "Open Up! Population Police!" Heavy use of foreshadowing helps to move the plot along as well. Several chapters end in this way, a single sentence suspended at the bottom of the page, like, "Until they took the woods away," and "But April came before planting season," hinting at drama to come.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the story is the setting itself. It is a world in the not-too-distant future, where the totalitarian Government controls decisions like what farmers and factories can produce, as well as how many offspring families may bear. From Luke's contemplations of his family's circumstances, to Jen's tutorials about the Government's role in regulating everything from junk food to the media, we gain a growing distaste for the strictures of this world, and an appreciation for our own. The juxtaposition of the enforced poverty of farmers, with the extravagant privileges of the Barons, is brought to life by Haddix's evocative descriptions. An example is when Luke first steps into Jen's home. Haddix writes, "At his house, even the once-orangish couch and the once-greenish chairs were now all a matching sort of brownish gray. This room was different. It reminded him of a word he'd never heard, only read: "pristine." Nobody had ever stepped on these white rugs with manure-covered boots. Nobody had ever sat on those pale blue couches with corn-dust-covered jeans." These descriptions are absorbing enough, that they maintain the readers interest in places where the plot might otherwise drag a bit.
Characterizations are vivid, but somewhat one dimensional (with the exception of Luke and that of Jen's stepfather). Luke's father is gruff and critical, his mother loving, but overwhelmed. Jen's mother is shallow and self-absorbed, as when Jen explains, "There you have it, my mother's priorities. Shopping is more important than my life." The Government is repeatedly portrayed in negative ways. Phrases like, "The Government's incompetent and stupid," and "Government leaders are the worst ones for breaking laws," and "Maybe a Government worker with half a brain will see it and actually think for the first time this decade," abound.
Themes are universal, making the story appealing to readers. Quests for freedom, good versus evil, and self-determination are issues with which readers can empathize. Thematic messages are made fairly obvious through description and dialogue. For example, when Luke asks Jen what the password is for the shadow children's chat room, her reply is, "It's 'free.' "
In terms of style, Haddix is often a spare writer, conveying a lot of meaning in brief descriptions, as when she writes, "They had defied the Government once, with Luke. That had taken all the defiance they had in them. Maybe more." She relies a bit on stereotypes in her portrayals, especially with Luke's father. Depicting him as an uneducated farmer who can barely understand letters from the government, his dialogue includes lines like, "Farming don't make nobody a millionaire." In another scene he is described in this way: "Only after his last belch did he turn the envelope over and run a dirt-rimmed fingernail under the flap." Occasionally, Haddix uses similes and metaphors to enhance descriptions, as when she writes, "Luke suddenly felt like the radio was as loud as an entire orchestra, like the smell of baking bread could fill three counties." However, most of the time, her style is rather plain.
While the premise of the book is thought-provoking, a weakness is the black and white way in which it is told. One wonders what impression a child might come away with when the Government is always portrayed as bad. Also, famine is not the only implication of overpopulation. While overpopulation is a genuine issue we face in our world and worthy of introduction to older children, it is dealt with in a fairly simplistic manner here.
On a personal note, I read Haddix's Running Out of Time several years ago and thought it was one of the most inventive, thought-provoking children's books I'd ever read. Thus, I purposefully chose the Shadow Children series because I wanted to read Haddix again. However, while I was caught up in the story, it was not nearly as compelling as Running Out of Time had been. I am a reader who enjoys rich, metaphorical language. The spare style and simplistic presentation of Among The Hidden was a letdown to me. However, my campus librarian says there is a waiting list for all the books in this series, so evidently elementary students are not so particular.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Kirkus Reviews: "A chilling and intelligent novel."
Publishers Weekly: "The plot development is sometimes implausible and the characterizations are a bit brittle, but the unsettling, thought-provoking premise should suffice to keep readers hooked."
School Library Journal: "An exciting and compelling story of one young person defying authority and the odds to make a difference. Readers will be captivated by Luke's predicament and his reactions to it."
5. CONNECTIONS:
*For individual readers, an obvious recommendation would be the six sequels to this book. They are (in order):
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the imposters. ISBN 0689839049
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the betrayed. ISBN 068983909
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the barons. ISBN 0689839103
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the brave. ISBN 0689857942
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the enemy. ISBN 0689857977
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the free. ISBN 0689857993
*Another excellent book by this author is the following:
Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Running out of time. ISBN 0689812361
*In a classroom setting with older students, this book might be used in conjunction with discussions about government and dystopian scenarios such as:
Orwell, George. 1984. ISBN 0452284236
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. ISBN 0451526341
*Finally, the themes of this book lend themselves to writing and discussion. It would be interesting to have students share their thoughts about freedom, sacrifice, self-determination, authority, corruption of power, and positives and negatives of government.
No comments:
Post a Comment